Switch heater



W. A. LEBUS SWITCH HEATER Nov, 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1948 W. A. LEBUS SWITCH HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001. 22, 1948 Patented Nov. 21, 1950 ascents swrren nearer.

William A. Lebus, Chica go, EL, assignor to The Protectoseal 'Cornpany, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Illinois Application October 22, 1948, Serial No. 55,877

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to railway switch heaters, a novel burner assembly for heating switches during extreme cold weather to prevent the accumulation of ice about the switches, and among its objects is to provide a novel burner assembly employing a wick, wherein the wick may be readily advanced through the wick tube when its protruding end has been burned off.

Another object is to provide a fuel tank with a stationary connecting member welded or otherwise secured to a wall of the tank around an opening therein, which connecting member cooperates with the burner assembly to lock the latter to the stationary connecting member but permitting manipulation of the burner assembly whereby it may be readily detached from the connecting member so as to obtain access to the wick at a point below the burner assembly, whereby the end of the wick may be readily pushed above the wick tube to present an unburned part of the wick in position to be ignited. Another object is to provide a switch heater of novel construction which may be employed at switch points of railway tracks and at the switches themselves to prevent the accumulation of ice about the switch points and switches.

Another object is to provide a filler opening in a wall of the tank closed by a hinged lid which may be readily swung into open position by the nozzle of an oil can thereby permitting fuel oil to be poured into the tank.

With these and other objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in several novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly ilustrated in the drawings accompanying the specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a switch heater embodying a simple form of the present invention showing the same as lying down.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly broken out.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical section through the burner assembly and showing its connection with a fragment of the tank.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the switch heater looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawings, the reference character 6 designates a fuel tank for containing kerosene or other suitable fuel oil. As shown, the fuel tank is of elongated form with its wall l somewhat of oval form in cross section, and closed at its ends by heads 8 welded or otherwise secured thereto by suitable leak-proof means.

In that part of the wall 1 which forms the top of the tank when lying down as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, is an opening 9 located adjacent-one end of the tank, and surrounding said opening is a stationary annular connecting member It which is welded to the tank wall. The connecting member is here shown as formed with an annu'ar flange ii at its lower edge that is spot welded to the wall 1 of the tank.

The burner assembly indicated generally by the reference character I2, is provided with a connecting member l3 which is rotatable with respect to the stationary connecting member i0 and is provided with locking means cooperating with the stationary connecting member to lock the burner assembly to the tank but so arranged that upon slight rotation of the burner assembly it may be detached from the tank.

The means shown for accomplishing this result comprises an internally extending flange M on the stationary connecting member, having notches Ma and provided with an annular downturned rim 55 through which the notches Ma are extended. The rotatable connecting member is is provided with radially extending tongues l6 which pass through the notches Ma and engage under the rim E5 of the flange l 4 when the burner assembly is partially rotated. To remove the burner assembly, it is rotated until the tongues register with the notches, whereupon it may be raised and detached from the stationary connecting member.

As shown the burner assembly is provided with a cap ll of stepped formation, the annular top wall l8 of which carries the rotatable connecting member l3. From the outer edge of the top wall l8 depends a vertical ring-like wall l9, which terminates in a horizontal annular wall 20 that seats upon the flange is of the stationary connecting member and from the outer edge of said horizontal wall 2!? depends a ring-like wall 2! which fits around the side wall of the stationary connecting member, and from the lower edge of said annular upright wall 2| extends a horizontal annular wall 22, from the outer edge of which depends a vertical ring-like wall 23. A chimney V 24 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the upright wall 23 of the cap I! and is preferably provided with air apertures 25 adjacent its lower edge.

A wick tube, shown at 26,

is supported by the cap I! and it is here shown as formed with an whereby when ignited the wick will burn until the burned part thereof reaches the wick tube. If desired, one or more inwardly bent upwardly direct tongues 30 may be formed in the wall of the wick tube to engage withthe'wick and prevent any possibility of the wick falling down from the wick tube.

A flanged hood 3! which may act as a snufier is removably supported on a flanged guidem'ember 32 welded to the top wall of the tank. The flange of the hood is held in the grooves between the body of the guide member and its flanges. When it is desired to use this-hood as a snufier, itis slid out of the guide member and placed upon the cap as seen in Fig. 2.

A filler opening 33 surrounded by a rim 33a, is provided in the wall. of the tank at the end thereof, opposite the burner assembly, and a lid 34 hingedly connected to cars 35 which are'welded or otherwise securedto thewall of the. tank is provided for closing the filler opening 33. The lid is formed with an upwardly inclined lip 36 .at the end opposite its hinged end to facilitate lifting the lid. A weighted block 34a is welded or otherwise secured to the lid toaid in keeping it closed. An attendant wishing. to. supply the tank with kerosene or other fuel oil thrusts the end of the. nozzle. of. the oil can underneath the lip 36' thereby raising the lid and enabling the nozzle to be thrust into the filler opening. When the nozzle is withdrawn, the lid dropsby gravity and closes the filler opening;

A handle 3! welded or otherwise. secured to the head 8 adjacent. thefiller opening. provides convenient means whereby theswitch heater may be carried'about.

In use,. the switch heaters are placed under switch points of railway tracks or under the switches,.and the wicks ignited.v The heat from the burning fuel serves: to prevent the accumulation of ice around the switch pointsand switches where the devices are used. Theymay also be used as road flares.

Having thus describedmy invention, it is/obv-ious that various immaterialmodifications-may be made in the same without departing. from the spirit of my invention;. hence, I donot wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses. mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a liquid fuel burning heater, a fuel tank having an opening in its wall, a stationary, tubular member rigidly secured to said tank and encircling the opening therein, the outer end of said member terminating in an internal flange, a cap of greater diameter than said-member having. an inn'er;anoutenand an intermediate offset therein to form a concentric stepped structure, the intermediate ofiset of which is of a size meet on said tubular member, a tubular chimney connected at its lower end to and carried by said outer ofiset, said chimney having a plurality of openings therein adjacent said lower end for the passage of air therethrough, a wick tube extending. through and carried by the central portion of said cap, a wick member positioned in said tank and extending through said tube, a locking member rigidly carried by said cap and extending inwardly'therefrom' into said tubular member, and e'o-operating'means on said lockingmerirher and the flange on said tubular member for detachably lock-ing'said cap to said'tubular memher.

2. In a liquid fuel burning'heater, a fueltank having an opening in it'swall, a' stationary, tubular member rigidlyl secured to said tank and encircling the opening therein, the outer end of saidmember terminating-inan internal-flange, a oap of greater diameter than'said member-havingani inner; an outer, and an intermediateoffset therein to form aconcent'r-ic, stepped structure, the intermediate offset-of which is-ofa size to set on said tubular member; a-tubular chimney connected atits lower: end to and carried" by said outer ofiset, said chimney having: a plurality of openings thereini adjacent said lower end' for the passage of air. therethroug-h, a wick tube extendingithrough and carried by the central portion of said cap, a wick member positioned in said tank andextending through said tube, a-cover for said-wick. adapted to engage the inner-offset, a locking member rigidly carriedby said cap and extending: inwardly therefrom intosaid tubular member, and a. plurality of radially: extending tongues carried by said locking member engageable with portions of the flange on said-tubular member for detachabl'y 'locking said capto-sai'd tubular member;

WILLIAM A HEBUS'.

REFERENCES: (ZITED.

The following references are' of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS 

